Device for holding books open.



PATENTED JULYOIB, 1905.

W. MAGUIRB.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING BOOKS OPEN.

APPLICATION TILED OCT. 12, 190*.

l nl W/Vad wihimm UNITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

WILLIS MAGUIRE, OF BISBEE, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING BOOKS OPEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 795,048, dated July 18,1905.

Application filed October 12, 1904. Serial No. 228,228.

To (1,7,7, whom it may cancer/2 Beit known that I, WVILLIS MAGUIRE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bisbee, in the county ofCochise and Territory of Arizona, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Devices for Holding Books Open, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention provides a device of novel construction for holding abook, magazine, or like work open when reading or having referencethereto, the same being of such formation as to admit of freely turningthe leaves either forward or backward without necessitating the removalof the holder from the book.

- For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the meansfor effecting the result reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings.

l/Vhile the essential and characteristic features of the invention aresusceptible of modificatioli, still the preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a perspective view of a holder embodying the invention, showing itsapplication, the book being indicated by dotted lines. Fig, 2 is a frontview of the holder. Fig. 3 is a side view of the holder, showing itapplied to a book, the latter being represented by dotted lines.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The holder is constructed of wire, which may be of any gage and materialdetermined upon. As illustrated, the holder comprises two members ofsimilar formation and approximately of U form. The front member consistsof a cross-bar 1 and side bar 2, the cross-bar being longitudinallycurved both in an outward and downward direction and the side bars beinglikewise curved throughout their length. The rear member is composed ofa cross-bar 3 and side bars 4, the cross-bar 3 having its middle portiondeflected outward at 5 to clear the back of a book when the holder isfitted thereto. The members 3 and 4 curve in their length in an oppositedirection to the corresponding bars 1 and 2, so as to insure firmcontact of the cross-bars with the book, magazine, or the like to holdthe same extended for convenience of reference thereto. Spring-coils 6are located at the juncture of the two members and are formed byconvolutions or winds of the wire from which the holder is constructed.The spring-coils 6 serve to properly space the members and are adaptedto rest upon the upper end of the book, so as to properly position theholder and limit its downward movement. To further increase the spacebetween the connected ends of the members, the side bars 4 aredeflected. a short distance from the spring-coils 6, as shown at 7. Atie 8 connects the upper ends of the side bars of the holder andconsists of a wire having its end portions passed through thespring-coils 6 and looped therearound, as indicated. The

tie 8 in addition to preventing the spreading of the side members of theholder forms a handle to admit of conveniently carrying the device whenoccasion requires.

The component parts of the holder are formed of a single wire bent inthe form substantially as shown. The terminals of the wire may bejointed in any manner and at any convenient point. As illustrated, theextremities of the wire are intertwisted, the joint beinglocated at themiddle of the rear cross-bar 3, so as to be out of the way. In theapplication of the invention the holder is fitted to a book, magazine,or like article after the same has been opened by inserting the parts ofthe book or kindred article between the front and rear members, theholder being arranged to engage equally with both parts of the book. Theresiliency of the members of the holder enables them to adapt themselvesto the thickness of the book, magazine, or the like gripped between themembers. When it is required to turn the leaves, the front member isgrasped and drawn away from the book in an upward direction, so as toclear the leaves, thereby ad mitting of the same being freely turnedeither forward or backward. Upon releasing the front member it iscarried backward against the leaves by the spring action of the coils 6,as will be readily understood.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is A devicefor holding books open, the same formed of a single wire and comprisingfront and rear members of approximately U form and having their crossand side bars longitudinally curved, the rear cross-bar being out-

